Pirn cap

ABSTRACT

A textile pirn upon which filamentary material is supplied is provided with a replaceable end covering ring to prevent damage to the nose end of the pirn, to cover previous damage, and to aid in the runoff of the filament over the nose end.

United States Patent [72] Inventor 2,883,124 4/1959 Atwood etal. 242/118.3 o 3,107,067 10/ 1963 Atwood et a1. 242/1 18.3 Qfs- 23 1 FOREIGNPATENTS 5] Fauna 775,174 10/1934 France 242/1183 [731 Anita co-flau Nu mIn 226,683 1/1925 Great Britain.... 242/1184 Mul. Ah 647,546 10/1962Italy 242111831 630,039 10/1962 Italy 242/1 18.31

Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz I 1 m Attorney-Davis, 110m, Faithful] &11 m (L a: ABSTRACT: A textile pirn upon which filamentlry material is[so mum ..242/11s.31 "Phmhk H 8.32 I 83 8 prevent damage to the nose endof the pin, to cover previous damage, and to aid in the runofl of thefilament over the nose [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2.714.812 8/1955 Leath et a1 242/128 X I0 I I l6 I 1 I I l 1 7 DavidBaketvell PlRN CAP This invention is concerned with a tubularpirn onwhich filamentary material of indefinite length such as textile yarn,thread, roving, tow, cord, twine, or the like is wound fortransportation and dispensing.

A pirn is a hollow metal cylinder typically 2 inches in diameter andsomewhat more than a foot in length. To provide a suitable surface, themetal cylinder may be provided with an external shrink fitted phenolicplastic sleeve. The plastic sleeve may be provided with a surface finishof fine circumferential grooves to reduce axial slipping of the yarn onthe pirn. The plastic sleeve extends around one end of the cylinder toprovide a smoothly rounded surface at that end. This end is commonlycalled the nose and is the end of the pirn from which the yarn is drawnin a direction generally parallel to the pirn axis as the yarn is used.The other end of the pirn is commonly called the tail and is the end bywhich the pirn is held when the pirn bearing a yarn supply is placed inthe machine which uses the yarn.

When the yarn supply has been exhausted from a pirn, the empty pirn isremoved from the yarn using machine and is replaced by another pirnhaving a new supply of yarn. The

empty pirn is returned to the yarn manufacturer who winds a.

new supply of yarn on the pirn. The plastic covering on the nose of thepirn must be free of nicks, dents, or abrasions because suchirregularities would interfere with the feeding of the yarn as the yarnis run off or drawn over the nose of the pirn during use.

The nose of the pirn is particularly prone to impact damage duringstorage and return shipment of the empty pirns to the yarn manufacturerbecause the empty pirn has no yarn to serve as a cushion. The ends ofempty pirns are more exposed to impact damage than is the cylindricalsurface. While damage to the tail of the pirn is not particularlysignificant, damage to the nose affects the freedom with which the yarnruns across the nose as the yarn is drawn from the pirn during use.Damage to the nose of the pirn has heretofore necessitated removal andreplacement of the shrink fitted plastic sleeve.

The present invention prevents damage to the pirn nose, permits thecontinued use of pirns having previously damaged noses, and permits easyreplacement of a damaged nose portion by providing a readily replaceablecap ring which serves as the nose of the pirn. The replaceable cap ringimproves the uniformity of runoff characteristics over pirns notprovided with the ring of the present invention.

The drawing is a view partially in section of a pirn fitted with the capring of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the pirn comprises a hollow metal cylinderhaving a plastic end plug 12 frictionally held in the nose end of thepirn. End plug 12 is provided with an outer circumferential rounded edge14. A plastic sleeve 16 is shrink fitted about the cylindrical exteriorof the pirn tube 10 and about the nose end of the pirn tube and thecircumferential edge 14 of the end plug 12. The resulting radius of theend of the plastic sleeve 16 constitutes the surface of the nose of thepirn. it is this surface which is prone to damage that affects theusefulness of the pirn.

The present invention adds to this conventional pirn construction aplastic cap ring 20 which fits over the nose portion of the pirn and isretained thereon by friction. The ring 20 may be molded from flexibleplastic such as polyethylene thereby rendering the ring resistant topermanent impact damage in the form of nicks or dents. Alternatively,the ring may be molded of a phenolic similar to that employed in thesleeve 16. In either case, the ring20 is easily replaced when damaged.The cap ring 20 may be molded in identifying colors which are indicativeof the nature of the yarn supplied on the pirn.

The exterior shape of the ring 20 includes a smooth rounded portion 21against which the yarn bears during runoff. A tapered conical surface 22is merged with the rounded surface 21 at the upper end and with thecylindrical surface of the pirn at the end remote from the nose toextend the protection afforded by the ring 20 over a considerable ortionof the cylindrical surface near the nose of the pirn. he taper ofsurface 22 insures that the yarn being run off has only minimal contactwith the ring at the rounded surface 21 to reduce friction.

The ring 20 stands proud of the cylindrical exterior surface of the pirnby having an outer diameter substantially greater than that of thecylinder to preserve the desirable minimum of contact as the yarn supplyis exhausted to the last windings in contact with the pirn surface. Thisgreater diameter prevents the yarn from being drawn along thecylindrical surface of the pirn to thereby maintain substantiallyunifonn the frictionally drag of the yarn as it runs off the pirn.

The ring 20 can be used on pirns having previously damaged nose portionsto thereby render them serviceable without the the need to replace theplastic sleeve 16. Further, the ring 20 tends to reduce pirn damagebecause it reduces the contact among empty pirns during storage andshipment. Empty pirns provided with the ring of the present inventioncan be stacked for storage and shipment with adjacent pirns reversed inrespect to each other such that the rings 20 completely prevent contactof adjacent cylindrical surfaces. Any damage which may occur to the noseof the pirn occurs on the surface of the ring 20 rather than on the bodyof the pirn proper. The ring is readily replaceable. When the ring 20 ismade of flexible plastic, permanent damage to the nose surface of thepirn is greatly reduced.

lclaim:

1. A pirn for receiving, storing and delivering a wound supply offilamentary material comprising; a hollow tube having a hard nonmetaliclayer extending substantially over the entire exterior surface of andextending over the nose end of the tube, an end plug affixed in theinterior of the nose end of the tube, and a replaceable resilient moldedplastic ring friction fitted over the nose end of the tube and extendingover the portion of the tube exterior proximate the nose end, said ringhaving an exterior diameter greater than that of the proximate portionof the tube so as to stand proud of the tube, the portion of the ringexterior surface which overlies the nose end being rounded to provide asmooth bearing surface for contact by the filamentary material as it isdrawn from the nose end of the pirn, the portion of the ring exteriorsurface which overlies the exterior surface of the tube being atransition in the form of a gradual conical taper between said roundedsurface and said tube exterior, the interior surface of the ring havinga substantial area for frictional retention of the ring on the exteriorsurface of the tube.

1. A pirn for receiving, storing and delivering a wound supply offilamentary material comprising; a hollow tube having a hard nonmetaliclayer extending substantially over the entire exterior surface of andextending over the nose end of the tube, an end plug affixed in theinterior of the nose end of the tube, and a replaceable resilient moldedplastic ring friction fitted over the nose end of the tube and extendingover the portion of the tube exterior proximate the nose end, said ringhaving an exterior diameter greater than that of the proximate portionof the tube so as to stand proud of the tube, the portion of the ringexterior surface which overlies the nose end being rounded to provide asmooth bearing surface for contact by the filamentary material as it isdrawn from the nose end of the pirn, the portion of the ring exteriorsurface which overlies the exterior surface of the tube being atransition in the form of a gradual conical taper between said roundedsurface and said tube exterior, the interior surface of the ring havinga substantial area for frictional retention of the ring on the exteriorsurface of the tube.